Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

big sur

/ˌbɪɡ ˈsɜː(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.70 in modern English

Syllables: big -sur
IPA: /ˌbɪɡ ˈsɜː(ɹ)/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California.

Example Sentences

"Big Sur simply did not lend itself to the massive settlement that characterized the rest of California. Following the gold discoveries of 1849, California's population exploded under the onslaught of miners, merchants, and camp-followers."

Etymology

Shortening and partial calque of Spanish el país grande del sur (“the big country of the south”).

Rhymes With

your were her per sir ensure prefer mirror occur refer cure mature

Questions

How do you pronounce big sur?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɪɡ ˈsɜː(ɹ)/.
What does big sur mean?: A rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California.
Where does big sur come from?: Shortening and partial calque of Spanish el país grande del sur (“the big country of the south”).

How to pronounce big sur

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “big sur”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌbɪɡ ˈsɜː(ɹ)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “big sur”.
Repeat and practice — Say “big sur” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.